By Michael Kickingbear

Last night marked the 60th anniversary of the Grammies, which is put on by the Recording academy who thinks of themselves as (stated from their website) “The world's leading society of music professionals, the Recording Academy is dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and sustaining music's past, present, and future.”

Well, that is all well and good, but this year’s event was more about politics, than music. The biggest “messages” were really about the recent attention to women’s rights, sexual abuse, and strength and courage in the face of a seemingly oppressive federal regime. All things that I cannot argue with and actually support the abolishment of.

But there was one “political speech” that caught my attention, which was from recording artist Camila Cabello. I really do not know her work. I am honestly not very up to speed on current mainstream artists. I do however follow the Native American recording artist scene.

Quick research online reveals that:

“Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao was born March 3, 1997, and is a Cuban-American singer and songwriter. She rose to fame as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which was formed during the second season of The X Factor in 2012.”

Ok, well I do follow some mainstream music judging contests, such as NBC’s “The Voice” as i recently followed Brooke Simpson, a Native American Singer who made it to third place last season.

But what caught my ears wasn’t Camila Cabello’s music, but her introduction last night. She literally said this:

“Tonight is this room of Music Dreamers, we remember that this country was built by dreamers, for dreamers, Chasing the American Dream. I’m here on this stage tonight because, just like the dreamers, my parents brought me to this country with nothing in their pockets but hope. They showed me what it means to work twice as hard, and never give up. And honestly, no part of my journey is any different from theirs. I’m a PROUD Cuban-Mexican Immigrant, born in eastern Havana, standing in front of you on the Grammy Stage in New York City. (pauses to compose herself) and all I know is that just like dreams, these kids can’t be forgotten, and are worth fighting for.”

What I reacted to what this phrase: “Tonight is this room of Music Dreamers, we remember that this country was built by dreamers, for dreamers, Chasing the American Dream.”

This set off all kinds of emotions inside of me. Mostly A N G E R. Not because of her fight for the dreamers, but for the notion that this country was built by and for immigrants.

Join me in a collective huge sigh and shake your heads with me…

No Camila, it wasn’t. I’m sorry to have to deeply disagree with you. This is yet again, another symptom of colonialism in the United States. It is pervasive. It is damaging. and it is VERY real. It is ALSO another example of NO ONE fact checking or editing speeches to be sensitive to other cultures in this so-called “country”. Namely us, the Indigenous people of this country and continent.

No Camila, this country was built on a history of murder, enslavement, disease, and trauma. Your political “speech” (once again) lacks true American history and knowledge.

The history of the United States is NEVER told from the perspective of first America. FACT: The first English to come to these shores would have died if not for indigenous intervention. FACT: Then they claimed the land as “theirs”. FACT: The way they said “Thank You” to their Indigenous heroes was through murder and countless genocide attempts via muskets, sword, fires, disease, and slavery.

Now, generations later, we receive continued abuses by the same descendants of the First English who now say to us “Get Over It”. The same descendants defend their offensive sports team mascots by saying they are “honoring us”. when really they think of it as “honoring the dead” or the “fallen”. We are neither. And the same descendants accuse us of drinking away federal dollars.

The same descendants now want to “Reform Immigration”. Perhaps the biggest insult of all to us as indigenous people of this continent. These descendants, whose OWN ancestors by THIER very own current definition, were illegal immigrants, and who now determine who may come here. (which is what Camila is really reacting to)

The hypocrisy is actually amazing. From a Native American perspective, “America” is about 525 Years Old. Current day descendant immigrant historians say it became an independent nation in 1776. That is when the Declaration of Independence was signed. They, therefore, say it is roughly 241 old. So you see, they also ignore their own country’s history because it includes Indigenous people in it. So they “count” us out of it by shortening it.

Our abuse started before 1492. Public schools still teach that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. Well, that is not true at all. Actually, the man was never landed here at all. It was actually what we know today as Haiti, where they recently suffered a devastating earthquake. Yes, that Haiti. You know… one of the countries that the current occupant of the white house recently called “Sh*tholes”? You can read more about the Columbus nonsense in Vince Schillings article in Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN)

Speaking of the Cheeto administration, when you watch them “tackle immigration” Remember America’s TRUE history. It’s so-called “Founding Fathers” who are so revered in American history books, never once talk about the genocide of Native American People. Of how President Lincoln, who gets a pass for supposedly freeing the slaves, ordered 38 Dakota men to be hung.

Remember the history that I am trying to convey to you here now. If you are an American citizen, Immigrant or not, I am sorry to report to you that this is also YOUR history. If you are uncomfortable right now, good. Because it IS uncomfortable. But think about how we as Indigenous Americans feel? How we continue to endure this historical trauma. Words matter!

I actually do not blame Camila Cabello. An innocent 21-year-old girl, who most likely did not write her speech. Political pundits probably did. So when you hear “America was built by dreamers” or “immigrants” remember Native American Indigenous history. Because it’s being ignored..yet again…

The recent devastation created by hurricane "Maria" to the Island of Puerto Rico has been elevated by the lack of federal support, and a fundamental lack of understanding that Puerto Rico....IS part of the United States! The A-hole occupant of the white house this week has chosen to (once again) focus on the crisis on the Island in the wrong manner.

By publicly berating the government of Puerto Rico in reminding the public as to the financial struggles they are having. That has NOTHING to do with the emergency needs of the people.

Couple that with Trump (and we have to assume some of the Republican leadership) sluggish response to lifting restrictions on the Jones act which places a hardship on getting relief supplies to Puerto Rico.

These events finally led to the Mayor of San Juan, San Juan's Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, to angrily plead for the help for the people of Puerto Rico. She also properly placed blame on Trump and the administration for not responding fast enough, and that her people are dying. Trump responds by saying that Mayor Cruz, and the people of Puerto Rico "Want everything done for them"

Regardless of what Trump and his merry band of idiots do, "We The People" will help the people of Puerto Rico. Here are some ways YOU can help:

If none of these are possible for you, then please...join us in getting the word out about the need in Puerto Rico... it's been nearly two weeks since Maria hit... let's hit back....with a strong showing of love and support

The loss of DACA, (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) has far reaching negative effects the current administration did not even think about. The idiotic decision to end DACA will not only impact the lives of those targeted, it will impact the lives of the families and extended family members, employers, co-workers, teachers........and so the list of affected people will grow. The decision by the, Trump administration will also affect our economy and create job loss. The individuals who are being targeted by this idiotic policy have contributed to this nation in ways I believe, and I am sure, Trump never has thought of, nor considered.

.President Obama voiced his opinion against the political and, what I consider a racial decision, to remove deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of individuals. President Obama's statement posted in Mother Jones is listed below

"Immigration can be a controversial topic. We all want safe, secure borders and a dynamic economy, and people of goodwill can have legitimate disagreements about how to fix our immigration system so that everybody plays by the rules.

But that’s not what the action that the White House took today is about. This is about young people who grew up in America – kids who study in our schools, young adults who are starting careers, patriots who pledge allegiance to our flag. These Dreamers are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper. They were brought to this country by their parents, sometimes even as infants. They may not know a country besides ours. They may not even know a language besides English. They often have no idea they’re undocumented until they apply for a job, or college, or a driver’s license.Immigration can be a controversial topic. We all want safe, secure borders and a dynamic economy, and people of goodwill can have legitimate disagreements about how to fix our immigration system so that everybody plays by the rules.

Over the years, politicians of both parties have worked together to write legislation that would have told these young people – our young people – that if your parents brought you here as a child, if you’ve been here a certain number of years, and if you’re willing to go to college or serve in our military, then you’ll get a chance to stay and earn your citizenship. And for years while I was President, I asked Congress to send me such a bill.

That bill never came. And because it made no sense to expel talented, driven, patriotic young people from the only country they know solely because of the actions of their parents, my administration acted to lift the shadow of deportation from these young people, so that they could continue to contribute to our communities and our country. We did so based on the well-established legal principle of prosecutorial discretion, deployed by Democratic and Republican presidents alike, because our immigration enforcement agencies have limited resources, and it makes sense to focus those resources on those who come illegally to this country to do us harm. Deportations of criminals went up. Some 800,000 young people stepped forward, met rigorous requirements, and went through background checks. And America grew stronger as a result.

But today, that shadow has been cast over some of our best and brightest young people once again. To target these young people is wrong – because they have done nothing wrong. It is self-defeating – because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel. What if our kid’s science teacher, or our friendly neighbor turns out to be a Dreamer? Where are we supposed to send her? To a country she doesn’t know or remember, with a language she may not even speak?

Let’s be clear: the action taken today isn’t required legally. It’s a political decision, and a moral question. Whatever concerns or complaints Americans may have about immigration in general, we shouldn’t threaten the future of this group of young people who are here through no fault of their own, who pose no threat, who are not taking away anything from the rest of us. They are that pitcher on our kid’s softball team, that first responder who helps out his community after a disaster, that cadet in ROTC who wants nothing more than to wear the uniform of the country that gave him a chance. Kicking them out won’t lower the unemployment rate, or lighten anyone’s taxes, or raise anybody’s wages.

It is precisely because this action is contrary to our spirit, and to common sense, that business leaders, faith leaders, economists, and Americans of all political stripes called on the administration not to do what it did today. And now that the White House has shifted its responsibility for these young people to Congress, it’s up to Members of Congress to protect these young people and our future. I’m heartened by those who’ve suggested that they should. And I join my voice with the majority of Americans who hope they step up and do it with a sense of moral urgency that matches the urgency these young people feel.

Ultimately, this is about basic decency. This is about whether we are a people who kick hopeful young strivers out of America, or whether we treat them the way we’d want our own kids to be treated. It’s about who we are as a people – and who we want to be.

What makes us American is not a question of what we look like, or where our names come from, or the way we pray. What makes us American is our fidelity to a set of ideals – that all of us are created equal; that all of us deserve the chance to make of our lives what we will; that all of us share an obligation to stand up, speak out, and secure our most cherished values for the next generation. That’s how America has traveled this far. That’s how, if we keep at it, we will ultimately reach that more perfect union."

I am always wary when I come across stories about tribes that are NOT written by a member of the tribe discussed. For as long as I can remember, novels have been written by a white author's perception of American history. And within their writings, periodically the subject of Native American's comes into play.

The common ones would be countless books written about Lewis and Clark, or writings about the Trail of tears. most of these publications are always written from a colonialistic point of view. Always when it comes to writing about Native America, these authors mention native people of the time as a people of the past, who are now gone, or less intelligent, and in most cases where the "great white father" comes in to "save the Indian" from themselves. Or in the case of examples of "How the west was won" settlers traveling westward who encountered tribes, wrote these glorified stories of "civilizing the natives".

Here on the east coast, we have the same stories of such encounters... all from the white colonial perspective. Modern day Authors of articles and books glorified writings based on resources such as found in the Yale Indian Papers, a collection of old documents and transcripts of the foundation of many of the towns and states in the New England area of the United States. Many of the states here were formed before the rest of the country.

The Yale Indian Papers Project writings have been transcribed from old English (Using software) for researchers to easily read and (presumably) interpret what was happening "back in the day". All one has to do is search for the name of an Indian Tribe, to see how the English referred to and spoke about our Native ancestors. It does not take long to see how belittled Indigenous people of this area were.

Legislative action was taken by the early State of Connecticut dated May 28, 1835.

In the action it states:

"that every person, who shall take, or draw any wood from the land of the Pequot Tribe of Indians, in the Town of Groton, in New London County, or from the land of any Indian, or Indians belonging to said tribe, without the permission of the overseer, or overseers of said tribe, shall forfeit the sum of five dollars for every load of wood so taken or drawn from said land"

You can clearly see the phrase "without the permission of the overseer". My ancestors (Pequots) were basically slaves to the English that that time. we had to ask for permission to use our traditional lands from an English overseer. An absolutely subservient way of life for my people. You don't see it stating "as the Pequots for permission" you see the direction stating that people need to get permission from the overseer.

So, as I opened this article, and hopefully I have established for you a healthy concern of skepticism of non-natives writing books and articles ABOUT native people, This past Sunday, I caught a broadcast of a story On CBS this morning that pertained to the Osage tribal nation of Oklahoma. It was a story that I have never heard about. The Author, David Grann, who is non-native is the author of a new book that he has published called "Killers of the Flower Moon…. The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI”

I sat up in my chair. Mainstream media does not often do stories about Native Americans. If they do, they are usually filler pieces, when it's a slow news day or something. Rarely (Only until recently with the human rights violations that occurred and the drama that occurred at the Dakota Access Pipeline,) do Native interest stories ever get played.

But this one did. Now, one thing that I ALWAYS look for is a motive. WHY is a native story being run? again, as I outlined, I always get skeptical. and In this case, a non-native is promoting a book.... yeah..... ok....making money off native stories again.....what else is new?

But as I said, I honestly had never heard about this story. It pertains to Osage Lands, which at one point were oil rich in the 1920's. As you will hear in the video piece that follows, White greed motivated the theft of profits as well as numerous murders of the Osage people.

As presented by CBS this morning

Interview with Author David Grann with National Public Radio

Historical trauma perpetrated on Native people in the United States does piss me off to no end when you research the depth of organized manipulation and crimes committed by non-native people of the past right through the current day. Take the EPA, who did not tell the Trump Administration "No" when they were ordered to kill an environmental impact study which was ordered by the prior Obama Administration regarding the drill site by the Missouri river at Standing Rock. It is widely believed that study would have easily shown the extreme risks to the water supply that so many rely on by allowing a pipeline built under it. Corporate greed manipulated the system to put profits over people.

The story of the Osage is just another example of America's true history of abuse to indigenous people. And while Mr. Gann's book does a good job portraying the complete injustices by greedy settler thieves, and that this Osage case was the basis for starting America's Federal Bureau of Investigation...I still have to wonder.... why does a non-native writer get treated with solid endorsements from major media for covering the Osage story? What if an Osage tribal member wrote this story about his/her own people? Wouldn't their credibility to tell their own story out weigh that of Mr Gann? Would they be invited on CBS, NPR, and other media outlets to share and promote their own story?

As this is the “eve” of folks celebrating “The Luck Of The Irish” I am thinking about my Native relatives. Why do I say this?

During the year, there are various holidays celebrating other heritages and cultures in the United states such as Columbus day for Italian American’s and St Patrick’s day for Irish-Americans. some of these celebrations involve a parade, some even a day off from work.

These holidays usually include an above average amount of elevated attention due to local and even national television coverage. The usual “pride” theme being displayed front and center.

But where are the national Native American celebrations for our pride? When was the last time you saw a parade down times square in NYC honoring just native American people? Sure, the Macy Thanksgiving day parade might throw us a bone and (on that day) practice inclusion….

And yes, after quite a bit of work, we have achieved the “Native American Heritage Day” here in the United States. It is usually observed the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year that will be November 24th, 2017. My tribal nation celebrates that holiday by putting out a fact a day about ourselves or about other Native people every day during the Month of November. A small gesture of what we (as native people) really try to do each and every name for ourselves to fight historical trauma.

My co-host David Grey own and I had a debate a few episodes back (on our Native Opinion Podcast) about the lack of recognition of Native American Actors at the mainstream Academy Awards (The Oscars) for Film and television. At that time, I went on anäive rant about how we need to make Hollywood recognize our as equally talented native brothers and sisters, to their non-native counterparts. Dave kept trying to get through to me that we must recognize OURSELVES and not (in essence) beg others to “see” us. (Dave didn’t actually use the word beg)

While I didn’t see it as begging, Dave is right. And there are examples where we do have excellent efforts of recognizing ourselves and celebrating native American talent. Here in the United States, for example, we have The Native American Music Awards, (The Nammies) and the Indian Summer Music Awards. (The ISMA’s) and in Canada, there is the Manito Ahbee music festival which includes the Indigenous Music Awards.

But what about us recognizing ourselves for our work in film? Well yes… we do that as well. This upcoming year will mark the 42 annual American Indian Film Festival in California. The first festival was launched in 1975 in Seattle Washington. There is also the Red Nation Film Festival, which was founded in 2003 by Joanelle Romero, and award-winning filmmaker and Academy of Motion picture Arts & Sciences member.

Tomorrow, amongst the Irish Americans celebrating their heritage you may see leprechauns. Mystical characters that are associated with the luck of the Irish. Yet even that imaginary character gets a parade dedicated to Irish pride and honor.

Indian country is capable of gathering and marching to support clean water and Indigenous rights and other efforts. I think it’s high time maybe we gather and have a parade in support of……well….Us! But rather than waiting for an invite, maybe we should just create our own…..

My-cohost Dave has been a long time advocate and warrior for clean water, trying to bring awareness to the stubborn (such as myself initially) about the threats that are happening right now to available groundwater sources across the country.

After listening to David, and other research, I started learning about threats to water such as what the Multi-National conglomerate, Nestle bottling company, take through water easement rights deals that they make with small American towns and impoverished countries around the world. In some cases, millions of gallons of water are pumped and removed from these sites DAILY from such sites, and where the levels of these water sources are becoming increasingly low, and the rates of replenishment to these supplies (Such as rainfall) are not fast enough to offset the usage.

This week, dave sent me a segment from the Russia Today online media network (Or RT) from their “big picture” news show, hosted by Thom Hartman. In this Segment, he interviewed Kevin Kamps, a staff member at beyondnuclear.org who mission is to “educate and activate the public about the connections between Nuclear power and nuclear weapons and the need to abandon them both to safeguard our futures." Kevin specializes and reports on the Nuclear waste sector.

Mr. Kamps mentioned that the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest groundwater source in the middle of the nation is under a triple threat:

1.) Due to heavy agriculture in the midwest (watering crops), the levels in the aquifer are steadily dropping, and not getting naturally replenished fast enough. (Only about one inch per year from rainfall)

2.) The newly resurrected XL Pipeline project (Thanks to Trump and his "administration" will be built over a good portion of the aquifer. If that leaks, (and it will), that will also threaten the water supply.

3.) As presented in the RT piece, the "New" Secretary of Energy Rick Perry (Yes, THAT Rick Perry, the former Governor od Texas) Plans to sign an agreement with the company WCS or "Waste Control Specialists") a company that professes to "providing secure, safe and permanent disposal of low-level RADIOACTIVE waste". A radioactive waste treatment facility is planned for Texas directly over the Ogallala Aquifer, which will constitute the third threat.

Why are people so hell bent to destroy this planet? What are you going to drink if the water is poisoned? who are you going to rely on for your water? Nestle? Guess what, if ground water gets poisoned, Nestle or any other brand of bottled water can't help you either.. Last I checked, you can't just MAKE millions of gallons of water out of nothing!

I just wanted to make people aware of this growing threat out west. I fear we will see a lot more examples like this in the near future as energy companies attempt to push their profit driven agendas forward, bolstered by a big business friendly republican administration. For Indian country, beware of proposals to gain access to your land to mine, dig, or drill all in the name of oil or water. Instead, look to partner with alternative energy companies that want to develop project WITH you in a safe and "clean" manner that won't hurt our planet. While they may be far and few between, there are some oil companies that ACTUALLY do have alternative energy divisions.

If you had the ability to turn back time, and change one thing, imagine what might have happened if Donald trump had this during the presidential campaign. Please feel free to leave your comments below....

To all Natives who will hear my voice. To all the Natives who will want to understand, and to all the Natives who know and understand it is time. While and when we continue to wish and hope and wait for other cultures to recognize us as Native peoples, our rights, our traditions, our very lives continue to ebb away.

In a country where we are still considered invisible people, we have little voice, if a voice at all in deciding our own fates as a people. As many of us know, we have been relegated to be seen as a culture that resides in museums, cowboy movies, or we are identified by a casino. Our nations, whether the nations are federally recognized or not, have had shaky relationships with the federal government since the arrival of non-Natives. The history and reality of that statement speaks for itself.

Standing Rock is a prime example, of late, that exemplifies the poor relationship Natives have with governments in this country. I don’t need to go into detail. We all are watching what is happening in ND. Maybe ND is the beginning of what I am going to suggest. Maybe the beginning for what I will be suggesting, started a while ago. The when does not matter as much as why.

I believe in my heart, Native peoples need to begin to recognize themselves. I believe Native peoples need to stop waiting for other cultures to recognize us. Why do we need to beg to be recognized? Why do we need a government, who did not recognize us as humans, or citizens until 1924, tells us through a flawed system whether or not we are Natives?

Are we that starved for recognition and acceptance? Again, it is time for Natives, collectively, federally recognized, state recognized and tribes who can’t get either governmental recognition, to begin to join hands and recognize one another. It is time for Natives to join together and support one another. To succeed as a people, I feel this is something we HAVE to do for our survival. It is time for Natives to look to our collective futures.

Again, I reference, Standing Rock as an example of nations coming together. Throughout many Native cultures, we talk about the next seven generations. Those teachings are extremely important BUT, those children and grandchildren will have a much more difficult time than we are having right now if we do not do something to ensure their futures.

There are over 565 federally recognized tribes in this country. In my opinion, that equates to over 565 islands, separate and aside from one another. There are many state recognized tribes as well, and those tribes are also islands, separate and aside from one another. Yes, some tribes will work with other tribes, but that still equates to separatism with little power to do very much.

My suggestion to ensure the survival of Native peoples, and to ensure futures of the next seven generations is to form a United Federation of Nations and Tribes in the US. That would mean ALL of the nations in this country coming together for the benefit of ALL Natives. It would not matter if a nation was federally recognized, state recognized or with no governmental recognition.

I believe, as a unified body, we will have a greater voice, a greater presence, and the opportunity to determine our own destinies instead of waiting for someone to decide who we are, what we can do, and when we can do something. There are many who will doubt something of this scale can, or would work. There are some who will balk at the notion of not wanting to jeopardize their badge of federal or state recognition. That is fine. I hear many talk about self-determination. Here is the Merriam Webster definition of self-determination.

Definition of self–determination

1.1: free choice of one's own acts or states without external compulsion

2.2: determination by the people of a territorial unit of their own future political status

I hardly believe any nation is living under self-determination. It is not my goal to preach to anyone. My goal is to hopefully help us all see that we are on a slippery slope, and it has no benefit for Native peoples. I don’t have to recount all of the lies told to Natives over the years, the theft of lands and resources from within nation’s boundaries, the countless murders of our people, murders, theft and lies that still continue today. We are all aware of what Native people have endured over the last 500 years. That is all the more reason why I suggest a United Federation of Nations and Tribes.

It is time to cast away the tools we have been given to hasten our own demise, and begin to determine our own directions and futures. How will that happen? It is going to take the desire, courage, resources, commitment, honesty and the will of everyone to make it happen. Creating a United Federation of Nations and Tribes will not happen overnight, but with steadfastness, it can happen.

Creating a United Federation of Nations and Tribes does not mean throwing away existing cultures. It does not mean casting aside existing programs. It does mean creating regional hospitals/medical centers, schools, places of worship, if desired and Native businesses, many of the things that are sorely lacking throughout Indian country. Open the medical facilities to non-Natives. Open the schools to non-Natives. Encourage non-Natives to patronize Native businesses. That should be a given, but those entities will be established on Native terms, owned by Native people.

In closing. With any new idea, suggestion, theory, or plan, there are things that need to be ironed out, kinks to be straightened, and changes to be made. Together, as Native people, collectively, we can determine our own futures. Thank you for your time.

Just recently, there was an article in the news about a town that had become yet another victim of polluted water. That town is, Corpus Christi, TX. According to the BBC, in an article dated, 16 Dec, 2016. the chemical spilled into the water in Corpus Christi is a chemical called, Indulin AA-86. The chemical is used in asphalt plants as an emulsifier. The chemical can burn human skin in concentrated form. The Mayor issued a ban on using the water for any purpose, and he was right in doing so.

When will we learn it is up to us to ensure clean water, a clean environment and clean air? What is it going to take before we say, "enough!" For a very long time, I have been saying 'water is the new oil.' What I mean by that is: Water will become the resource that will become one of the most expensive resources. At some point, if we do not stop the pollution, water will rival oil prices of the more expensive oil producing years.

We can do without oil, to a large extent, but we cannot do without water. The big producers of bottled water know this, and they are, and will take advantage of that very fact. If one is still not convinced water is the new oil, below is an example of what I am speaking of. On a normal day, bottled water is not usually that expensive for 24 bottles of water. During the course of our show, Native Opinion, my co-host and I have been doing a series on the Nestle company, and how that company is able to obtain millions of gallons of water at a very low cost and then sell the water to reap gross profits. Of course the business who sold the water to that particular individual made his or her money by inflating the price of the water, but look at who supplied the water to the business in the first place. The store is only a middle man, a part of the distribution chain, if you will. Inflated pricing should never happen during a water crisis, but again, water is the new oil. In immediate instances, like water crisis', we can't afford to boycott water companies, or the establishments that sell the water at inflated prices BUT, after the dust has settled, so to speak, we can take action to voice our concerns over water prices.

It is necessary for ALL of us to put an end to the pollution to begin with. That is how we stop the high prices of water. Putting an end to pollution is how we save and protect clean water. The Standing Rock reservation's protection of the water in ND is a good example of what needs to be done to protect our most vital life sustaining resource. With a new administration taking office in a couple of weeks, I fear we may have waited too long to do something about clean water becoming polluted. The new administration does not care about the value of clean water, sadly. The fact that water is becoming the newest hot commodity, more so than oil, that fact will become a reality for many of us, and that reality has yet to be fully realized by most.

Looking for a video game for a teen with a Native Theme? Check out "Never Alone". A BEAUTIFUL story and the game was developed with DEEP input from the Alaskan Native Community.

One of the really cool aspects of this game is that as you play it, and the story unfolds, you UNLOCK short videos under the "cultural insights" which are outtake interviews with Iñupiat Community members who talk about their stories, and what went into the making of the game.

As the player, You are Nuna, a very young Iñupiat girl who is trapped in this crazy deep blizzard, and who is being pursued by mean spiritual being. Nuna is trying to save her village by understanding what is causing the blizzard. There is also a secondary character that you can play, an arctic fox who is also connected to the spirit world.

WATCH THE GAME TRAILER!

The saying “Kill the Indian, save the man” was more than a popular mantra that explained the explicit policies of anti-Native cultural destruction. It was also about shutting down more dynamic and fluid definitions of gender.

Our indigenous communities are waking up to all the possibilities of gender expression, sexuality, and ways that families in our communities are formed after generations of being forced to be “civilized.” Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

When we see depictions of Native people “in love,” it is often on a romance novel cover. A man with washboard abs and long shiny hair embraces a woman with braids and a mainstream body type (thin physique, large breasts, and a perfectly round ass) who is wearing a sexy “buckskin” fringe dress.

Under settler colonialism, these images of “savage love”—a barely clad “brave” and his “squaw”—sexualize “traditional” clothing and reinforce the idea that people of European descentare superior to Native people. With images like this abounding in U.S. society, beauty standards changed in Native communities. And so have gender roles.

But this “savage love”—with its stereotypical Indian bodies and its sharp male-female binaries—is not a reality for us.

In some Native communities, elders knew there are more than two genders and more than one way to be a “man” or a “woman.” The narrowing of these identities is one way that assimilation has decimated Native communities. The saying “Kill the Indian, save the man” was more than a popular mantra that explained the explicit policies of anti-Native cultural destruction such as imposing new property rules on Native communities or forcing us to stop speaking our languages or practicing our religions. It was also about shutting down more dynamic and fluid definitions of gender.

This romanticized savage love is not realistic based on our experiences. We grew up on the rez in Laguna, New Mexico, a village apart from each other, and have been friends for more than half our lives. While we had very different family structures, we share the same beliefs about our traditions, the sacredness of our Pueblo language, and the importance of being indigenous.

We try to show our children that it is okay to cast off notions of what it means to be feminine or masculine because colonization brought toxic masculinity to our communities. Binary gender roles and ideals have altered how Native people interact with each other, how we move together, how we raise our children, and how we practice our traditions. It seems like our indigenous communities are waking up to all the possibilities of gender expression, sexuality, and ways that families in our communities are formed after generations of being forced to be “civilized.” We arelucky that, as a couple, we share those values of not correcting our children when they like something that is not specific to their gender,and that’s reflected in how we interact with each other as husband and wife.

While we are a cisgender married couple, I (Rachael) am not straight. I am pansexual, and this aspect of my identity informs how I perceive how our traditions and the potential of our children’s role in those traditions. Our children may feel in their hearts that living as the gender assigned to them at birthis not how the Creator made them.

It makes me hopeful when I see the transgender women in our community in a “manta” or black traditional dress, or when one of my in-laws, who is a transgender man, is told the masculine Keres-language saying for “be strong.” It shows my husband (Justin) that the space we occupy together is safe for him to express himself in ways that do not fit colonial ideals of masculinity. If I can help him carry that part of himself even when I am not around, and he can be an example to our son, I know the love and respect we have for each other as indigenous people is a beautiful resistance against a hypersexualized, mythical, and historically inaccurate depiction of us.

This is a fantastic piece from A+J. Watch and COMPARE this piece to ANYTHING you have seen on corporate controlled Mainstream media. Ask yourself this.... "Have you seen CBS,ABC,NBC,FOX,or CNN actually sit down and interview land protectors to the level that A+J did in this piece? Ever heard the saying "They know where their bread is buttered"? Corporate owned news networks are being told to limit their coverage of DAPL. They do not WANT to broadcast the truth. THANK YOU A+J,and the young Turks, Unicorn Riot, Sara T'Rula (reporting from the UK) and the many,MANY Indigenous news and environmental networks for getting the truth out where corporate news will not. I also ask that if you watch mainstream television networks, make note of the various advertisers, and begin to boycott buying and using their products. Write to them. Tell them that you no longer support the TV network that they advertise on. Also tell them WHY! Corporate media needs a reality check. They worship $$$. But what if we hurt their bottom line? Then they cease to be in a business that is sustainable. There is FAR better news coverage by these (now currently called) online "alternative news networks" who are covering current events so much better than corporate news media.

In case anyone was wondering, Donald Trump, and to be honest, just saying that name leaves a bad taste in my mouth, did not win the election with any other demographic but whites. Trump was vaulted to the White House with the white vote. Let that sink in for a moment. The only ethnic category, the "President elect" won was the white vote. More than 40 percent of the nation's eligible, voting electorate did not vote. As a matter of fact, the number was very close to 47 percent.

Donald Trump ran his entire campaign on hate and violence. Trump supporters will try to refute that fact, and believe me, I have had quite a few Facebook acquaintances argue that very point. Christopher Keelty, a writer for the Huffington Post, penned an article about a fad that is sweeping the country. That fad is; the wearing of a safety pin. The pin, in Keelty's opinion is an attempt for whites to designate themselves as "allies." Like, Keelty, I believe the reasons for wearing the safety pin is an attempt to cleanse ones hands of responsibility after helping to place a white nationalist into the White House.

What, Christopher writes, and I quote, "It doesn't matter why, what matters is there's a white nationalist moving into the Oval Office and white people-only white people-put him there."

The "safety pins" will do very little, nothing at all, to assure people of color and immigrants they are safe under a, "Trump presidency. " People of color and immigrants know full well what is it like to live under oppressive governments.

Keelty wrote. "Remember the white guys in the 1970's who wrote all about freedom and equality and inalienable rights? Remember how they owned and sold slaves? Yeah, if that's the spirit you want to evoke, go ahead and wear your safety pin. I am sure lots of white people will smile when they see it. They might even congratulate you. But immigrants and people of color will recognize it as a symbol of your privilege."

People have become experts at producing various symbols to "show their support" for the many injustices that are a part of this nation's fabric. Instead of producing the various symbols, how about using your voice to address those injustices? Wearing a symbol is nothing more than a way to avoid speaking out, unless a situation forces one to speak out against what needs a voice instead of a symbol.

Most have come to accept seeing a symbol as a voice. That is nothing more than passive, non- participation, and it accomplishes very little. I am no fan of the acts of violence happening around the country with regards to the protest about this election. Believe me, I am no fan of, Trump, or what he stands for. Trump's election to the White House will go down in history as one of the greatest con jobs ever perpetrated on a population. If you are still convinced you need to wear a safety pin, at least use it for something more than a symbol that has very little sincere meaning.

"As indigenous women, we deserve a future free from fears of our tap water, a future where we are free to raise our families the best way we know how on our ancestral land."

On the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, water and land are being threatened by the proposed Dakota Access pipeline, which would carry almost 500,000 barrels of oil per day. Fears of the pipes bursting and affecting the land are not unfounded; sacred sites, such as burial grounds, have already been desecrated during the pipeline’s construction.

What many non-Natives don’t realize is that indigenous people’s ties to the land and water are directly connected to our bodies, even though all tribal communities are different. And for women, these ties are even stronger.

I grew up in Laguna, New Mexico, land of my father and our Pueblo ancestors. Some of our sacred songs are about hunting at Mt. Taylor. It is this history and what we have left of our language that propelled us, along with other Pueblo communities, to fight against the State of New Mexico when our access to Mt. Taylor was threatened by outside interests. And this is one of many issues that compels New Mexico’s indigenous communities to stand in solidarity with Standing Rock.

My identity and experiences as an indigenous woman and mother inform my perspectives on how strong the connection between our traditions and our environment really is.

My mother is a Mescalero Apache and Xicana woman. Because we are Apache, I had my August 2005 puberty ceremony in Mescalero. It was one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done for myself and the greatest gift my parents have ever given me. This puberty ceremony requires at least a year of preparation, and it is an emotionally and physically demanding event. This ceremony is four days, but we are required to prepare four days before and four days afterward.

Having this ceremony, which generations of young women before me have had, made me question why, when I went back to my mostly white high school, the topic of periods was usually followed by “Gross!” I had just celebrated getting my period, and I was being told how strong and sacred I am, like White Painted Woman. My peers shrugged off my discomfort with their “Pocahottie” costumes, but no Natives I grew up with sexualize traditional attire and the costumes were nowhere near accurate. As I got older, I started to realize that the way women’s bodies—more specifically, indigenous women’s bodies—were talked about or represented directly affects how our bodies are treated.

This realization is part of a long history of exploitation and violence since settlers came to Turtle Island: the rape and murders of indigenous women; the almost complete decimation of an entire group of people; and for many tribal communities, removal from ancestral lands.

From involuntary sterilization to having our babies forcibly taken from our homes to boarding schools, indigenous women have had our bodily autonomy taken from us in many ways. In virtually every indigenous community, women are sacred and respected because we bring and sustain life. We hold families together.

But without land to literally house our families, how can we lead our communities? Without water, how can we sustain our own lives and secure a future for our children and their families? These are the questions mamas and grandmothers are asking in Standing Rock right now. Indigenous communities have always been resilient in the face of danger, but resilience is more important now than ever.

Indigenous people whose water has beencontaminated and land has been mined have experienced pregnancy losses, pregnancy complications, children born with disabilities, and gender-based violence. In a part of the Navajo Nation where many mines are located, childhood reproductive cancers have occurred at rates 17 times higher than in the United States as a whole. Women go missing in Farmington, New Mexico, where many oil workers stay while working, and their disappearances are heartbreakingly normalized.

Our lands are not just reservations. They are literally what supports our families. In almost every indigenous community, our women and some two-spirit people are the caretakers of the land. What we put into our bodies directly affects our pregnancies and our general well-being.

Standing Rock’s strong and well-founded opposition to this dangerous pipeline is not just an issue of tribal sovereignty not being respected by private entities and state governments, nor just an issue of environmental justice. This is also an issue of reproductive justice. As indigenous women, we deserve a future free from fears of our tap water and free to raise our families the best way we know how on our ancestral land.

SEASON 11 FEATURES TWO NATIVE RECORDING ARTISTS!

By Michael Kickingbear Season 11 of NBC Television's "The Voice" features two artists from Indian Country. I regularly continuously ask myself "Why not us?". I follow music and talent reality TV shows for two very specific reasons. 1.) I like them. 2.) I look specifically for Native American talent to appear on these programs. Over the past 13 years, I have ben honored to broadcast the Native American Music Awards (Thank You, Ellen Bello and Donald Kelly)

Other shows that I follow such as "America's Got Talent, I particularly often wonder why we haven't seen more talent coming our of Indian country? I continuously ask myself "Why not us?". It certainly isn't from a LACK of talent! Is it due to resources? Travel can certainly be expensive. Could it be some form of racism on the part of show producers? Not likely, but who really knows?

The last artists that I remember being on a mainstream talent show was probably LIL MIKE & FUNNYBONE (aka MikeBone) out of Oklahoma City. The little person brother rap duo just killed their opening audition on the stage really helping to bring Native American talent forward to mainstream audiences. in case you didn't catch it, check this out:

This season, on NBC Network’s “The Voice," in what I believe to be a first, there are TWO singers featured who are native. I thought we would introduce them to you in this article. On our radio show and podcast, Native Opinion, we will continue to follow and report on their progress throughout the competition.

As a young man, I was always taught that "Ladies go first" and so, in the respect, she deserves, I would like to Introduce to you Khaliya Kimberlie. She is Mescalaro Apache through her mother and is 16 years old. During her intro video, Khaliya mentioned that at 15 years old, she came out to her parents that she is gay. She mentioned how very supportive her parents and family have been since doing so. In a world where it seems like everyone is judgemental, and particularly the social pressures of high school, the courage for her to simply say hey, I'm gay, just goes towards how decisive she is at such a young age. Khaliya performs at local venues and fairs. She stated that she is very much into country music, but also gravitates to the genre of Indie/alternative. despite her young age, she exudes a confidence that is bold and front and center.

Next is Josh Halverson. His mom is a Sioux, He learned to play piano and guitar when he was Just 5, and he says that he wrote his first song when he was 21. Josh works Cattle on his dad’s ranch and has been doing so since he was 12. Josh is also a father himself, and named his own son “Thunderbird” which in his intro video on the Voice he stated it is “a powerful symbol in the native American culture”. He travels all around Texas performing gigs where he can and is a singer-songwriter. However, he admits that gigs are hard to find that pay enough to support his family. Josh says “The Voice would give me the opportunity to do what I’m supposed to do and play music,”.

We wish much success to Khaliya and Josh this season! They are examples of the wonderful talent found within Indian Country! I hope we see more native artists audition so that mainstream American audiences get to see what we have always known...that there is deep talent from native American communities that have always been right here all along!

The U.S. Departments of the Army, the Interior, and Justice today invited representatives from all 567 federally recognized tribes to participate in formal, government-to-government consultations on how Federal decision-making on infrastructure projects can better allow for timely and meaningful tribal input. Starting with a listening session on October 11, formal tribal consultations are scheduled in six regions of the country, from October 25 through November 21. The deadline for written input will be November 30.

The consultations will focus on how the federal government can better ensure meaningful tribal input into infrastructure-related decisions and the protection of tribal lands, resources, and treaty rights, and will also explore with tribes whether new legislation should be proposed to Congress to alter the current statutory framework to promote those goals.

"The mission of the Alliance for Democracy is to free all people from the corporate domination of politics, economics, the environment, culture and information; to establish true democracy; and to create a just society with a sustainable, equitable economy."

Some assertions made in this letter are no less than simply incredible if determined to be true. It includes allegations of Murder, as well as accusations that Karl Rove, the senior campaign advisor to George W. Bush, and later to his administration, is responsible for orchestrating electronic fraud during this past 2016 democratic primary. Specifically, he is named as the one to direct his organization's IT professional "Mikey Cunningham" to install and run software that was created to alter voting results in many, if not all voting machines across the United States.

Attorney Arnebeck may very well be a hero for putting forth the following information. The letter below is long but well worth a read. Please share with others!

Offices of the President and Vice President The United States of AmericaVia Email

Dear Messrs. President Obama & Vice President Biden:

I believe former star Philadelphia prosecutor Beverly Campbell was assassinated because Karl Rove operatives believed she was about to reveal to you, before it unfolded, the wholesale corruption of the electronic voting process in the 2016 Democratic Party Presidential Primary.

On January 15, 2016, I met privately with Beverly at lunchtime. Beverly told me that she believed your son, Mr. Vice President, had been assassinated. She also said she thought you probably suspected that to be the case. When Bev returned home she began writing a letter to you as follows:

“It is interesting how our lives keep crossing. I first met you, Mr. Vice President, shortly after you were first elected to the US Senate. I was in one of the very earliest classes to attend Delaware Law School and worked in your second senate campaign. Later practicing law in Philadelphia and Delaware County, PA our paths crossed a few times and you never forgot that I had worked in your campaign. Many years later I had moved to Ohio and ran for the Ohio House of Representatives and then the Ohio Senate. You graciously endorsed and supported me in those races.”

I represented Beverly in litigation before the Ohio Elections Commission in regard to her 2006 election campaign. Prior to that I had represented a number of public interest groups and citizens in high profile election litigation against the Ohio and U.S. Chambers of Commerce, and against Karl Rove and Dick Cheney et al. in regard to the theft of the 2004 Presidential Election.

The day in 2008 when you, Mr. President, were in Columbus to address a Bernie Sanders’ scale crowd of supporters on the Statehouse lawn, Beverly told me of the social relationship a high-level CIA agent, she referred to as “Mark,” had initiated with her. After your election, according to Beverly, Mark assumed a high-level position with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while concurrently doing contract covert activity on behalf of a variety of interests. Mark referred to himself as a “thug,” accepting assignments from whoever wanted to pay him the most money. He told Bev he was making $3.5 million a year.

The first secret revelation from Mark that Bev shared with me—in strictest confidence, with the caveat that she would deny telling me if I ever attributed it to her—was that: “911 was an inside job.”

The second was Mark’s boast that: “All it took to get Obama to stay in line was to show him the Zapruder film.”

Based on her knowledge of Mark’s whereabouts and travel at Christmas 2009, Bev told me she suspected that Mark was the American intelligence officer who supervised and cleared the “Underwear Bomber’s” travel from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, on Christmas Day, 2009.

I lent my copy of JFK and the Unspeakable, and Why We Need to Know About It, by James Douglass to Bev. After reading it she asked: “How can he still be alive?” Bev knew from her intimate relationship with Mark how murderous were the criminals occupying positions of power within the government.

Mark told Beverly that he had personal bodyguards and people watching his intimate partner for possible leaks of his information. Mark also warned Bev many times that they were being monitored by a security team whenever he spent time with her at her home in Gahanna, Ohio. These minders would kill her and her sons if she betrayed his confidences. Bev told me Mark also referred to the possibility of taking out the “big kahuna,” which I inferred was a reference to me because of my extensive litigation activity against Karl Rove and the Chamber of Commerce since the 2000 election.

On July 17, 2008, I pointed out that Karl Rove had breached the general rule of a successful racketeering enterprise by employing his IT/Webmaster guru, Mike Connell, across the full spectrum of his criminal activities. Mike Connell’s presence was a sure marker of Karl Rove’s involvement. It is now my belief that Karl Rove made the same mistake in having Beverly’s Mark serve as his chief of executions as to all executions in which he was involved.

We learned through our opposition research team from the 2012 election cycle that Benghazi was but the first of three planned attacks upon American overseas government personnel, to serve as props for Karl Rove’s Operations Security (“OpSec”) advertisement. This ad argued that President Obama’s decision to reveal to the public how the takedown of Osama bin Laden was accomplished was to serve his selfish political goal of being reelected President and that the disclosure of these methods jeopardized overseas personnel of the United States.

Because of Mark’s high level of service in the CIA and pay grade of $3.5 million afterward that he claimed to Bev, Mark would have been a likely candidate, if he was not the person finally settled to orchestrate these planned attacks – beginning with Benghazi. I believe Mark gave the stand down order to CIA contractors a few moments away from being able to rescue Ambassador Stevens.

I believe Bev Campbell was assassinated on February 11, 2016, by the minders of her relationship with R. Nomura which had just terminated. I am transmitting Bev’s files related to this to Acting US Attorney Ben Glassman and Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker for review by appropriate investigative agencies for use in bringing to justice those responsible for Bev’s death.

I have been litigating against Karl Rove’s corrupt election practices since the 2000 general election cycle. In this 2016 Democratic Presidential primary election cycle, our opposition research and an investigative team have determined that an advanced technology election hacking system invented by Karl Rove’s technical genius, Mikey Cunningham, was successfully implemented.

The ratio of votes between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton was changed by some 25-33% in favor of Hillary Clinton compared to the ratio of votes as they were originally cast by voters. This was done by dropping many voters/votes for Bernie Sanders, i.e. reducing the number of votes recorded as cast, and also switching many votes cast for Sanders to Hillary Clinton.

Cunningham's innovation and Karl Rove’s application of it for the benefit of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Primary campaign are common knowledge among employees of SmarTech at which its CEO, Jeff Averbeck, continues to work exclusively on behalf of Republican candidates.

In the past, the unadjusted exit polls published by the media have been a reasonably accurate measure of the actual votes as cast by the voters. In this 2016 Democratic Presidential primary election, however, they are not. The current exit polling was designed to anticipate a substantial amount of fraud in Hillary Clinton’s favor. Thus, while these polls show Sanders getting dramatically more votes than the reported tally, in fact, his actual vote percentage as cast by the voters is dramatically more. In Ohio, for example, where the end of day screen shots of exit poll results showed Bernie Sanders receiving 10% more than those recorded for Hillary Clinton, Sanders actually received more than enough votes to achieve a substantial majority of those cast, entitling him to the majority of Ohio’s delegates to the Democratic Convention.

The last reported exit polls before their final adjustment to conform to the reported result show Bernie winning the 2016 Democratic primary. He actually won it by a landslide. There is no credible basis to believe that the reported votes in an easily hackable electronic vote counting system controlled by the very global corporate cabal that wants to rule the world has any validity whatsoever.

Karl Rove’s team covers Republican officials. Rove’s partner on the speaking circuit, James Carville may have been involved, without the knowledge of the Clintons in influencing Democratic officials. Rove’s mentor, R. Doug Lewis, has influenced election workers of both parties. Alwaleed bin Talal, Nathaniel Rothschild, and George Soros have directed financial & press support in aid of this criminal undertaking. The mainstream global corporate owned press suppresses the exit polling indicative of massive fraud in this election.

In my July 7, 2016, letter to Attorney General Lynch I described FBI Director Comey’s fundamental conflict of interest in having served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Affairs Institute of the US Chamber of Commerce. His Institute engineered the Citizen Untied decision of the US Supreme Court to overturn a hundred years of campaign finance regulation against corporate corruption of American elections. Then, pretending to act as both a career prosecutor and career investigator Director Comey terminated the investigation of Hillary Clinton for violation of security laws with her private email system.

I will now go further. When you, Mr. President, proposed an executive order to require federal contractors to disclose all their political expenditures, the US Chamber of Commerce stated that if you did so, “All options would be on the table.” If Bev Campbell’s CIA friend’s report of an implicit threat against your life is true, why was the US Chamber of Commerce not immediately interrogated under oath by the FBI and Secret Service?

Is the fact that James Comey is Karl Rove and Tom Donohue's top lawyer in service to the global corporate cabal, have something to do with the absence of FBI Cybersecurity investigation of the obvious evidence of massive theft in this election?Are the overwhelming majority of Democrats who supported Bernie Sanders supposed to shift their support to Hillary Clinton because their votes have been fraudulently flipped or destroyed? If there is such a strong basis for uniting Democrats to be sure to defeat Donald Trump, why are Democratic Party leaders, including Hillary Clinton, backing Bernie Sanders--the man who is outpolling Donald Trump?Why should any American allow Karl Rove to steal another Presidential election? Perhaps with Karl Rove’s help, Secretary Clinton may be able to “beat” Donald Trump, the same way she “beat” Bernie Sanders. But that way she, as the candidate of the global corporate cabal, will have won–not the people. And, whatever may be Donald Trump’s faults as a citizen candidate, it is obvious to the broad public that has supported him that the global corporate cabal’s contempt for Mr. Trump is based upon his refusal to embrace their highly profitable campaign to overthrow the democratically elected leader of Russia.

I hereby attest and affirm under penalties of perjury that the statements of fact set forth in the above letter are true and correct, based upon either my personal knowledge, or the sources that have been consistently reliable over years of my working with them, and the opinions expressed therein are my true professional opinions to a reasonable degree of certainty. I have written this letter with knowledge of the threat against my life that has been made by Mark R. Nomura on behalf of Karl Rove for doing so and their proficiency in carrying out their death threats by means of apparent suicides, fatal accidents, terminal illness as they have done to many of my witnesses, clients, and even my champion -- former U.S. Attorney, Judge and Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. I intend that this letter is used by any prosecutor or citizen in any federal or state court of law court in any state, or any international tribunal, whether I am alive, dead, or incapacitated to prosecute, criminally or civilly, Karl Rove as the principal perpetrator of the fraudulent manipulation of the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary Election.

Michael Kickingbear, Co-host of the Native Opinion radio show and podcast, gives his opinion about the nomination of Hillary Clinton to the Democratic Party. He shares his thoughts about Bernie Sanders as a supporter and the emotions around his exit from the campaign.

Over the past few months, we have been telling you that Donald Trump is no friend to Indian Country. He has consistently demonstrated that he is no friend to minorities as a whole. But tonight we are going to focus a bit on Indian country, and what we feel are concrete examples of why many native people feel this way.

But some people may be wondering why suddenly there is this surge of Trump attacks against native people? Many people only know Donald Trump though his Television show “The Apprentice”. Others only know him as New York Businessman. But myself, I know Donald J Trump because of his dealings with close tribal relatives of mine. Relatives that Donald Trump sought to exploit. You see, shortly after the opening of Foxwoods Resort Casino, which is owned and operated by my tribe, the Mashantucket Pequots , other tribes here in Connecticut were also pursuing Federal Recognition. In fact, they had been pursuing federal recognition just as long as my tribe had, and sadly they still are to this very day.

Before I get back to the so-called Phenomena called “Donald Trump” a little background on Federal recognition I think is needed for the context of future points. The federal BIA, or Bureau of Indian Affairs, a division within the department of Interior has criteria for which it issues to tribes throughout the United States for which they must meet in order to be recognized by the federal government as a Sovereign Tribe.

If obtained, this “status” or “Federal Recognition” as it is called allows a native American tribe to govern itself. The provision grants a tribe the ability to make its own laws on its reservation with certain limitations. It allows a tribe to establish who is a citizen of its nation. It allows tribes to establish their own tribal constitutions. It allows for establishing rights for its people. For building infrastructure such as police departments, fire, EMS, Hospitals, Schools, And yes creating employment on its reservations for native and non-native people alike.

And in the past, gaming has become very lucrative for some native American tribes, my own included. And with this success, comes outside business interests. Developers, who want in on the action. Developers like Donald J. Trump.

You all have heard the saying “Follow The Money Trail”. That is exactly what Donald Trump did to Indian Country. Straight here to Connecticut. He started targeting tribes who were close to getting a decision on their federal recognition bids. He offered them money to build their own “Foxwoods” trying to woo them into “Partnering” with him.

But Trump made a HUGE error. He assumed these tribes…and particularly their leaders…. were naive. He assumed that after seeing the success that my tribe had with Foxwoods that they were desperate to have their own fortunes. That they would blindly listen to him, and just sign on the dotted line.

They didn’t

No, they actually did some homework. They conducted research about the developer. What they discovered… was that Donald J. Trump was good at real estate. But he was a HORRIBLE casino operator . The first example, Trump Taj Mahal, went bankrupt in 1991, one year before Foxwoods Resort Casino even opened its doors. Trump then went Bankrupt 3 more times later in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

So trump figured these east coast “Indians” as he called us wouldn’t check him out.

They did.

And they fired him For not being forthcoming with that financial information. Does that sound familiar to you? Kind of like how he won't release his taxes right now?

So since that time, and after the 3 more financial disasters that he went through, including a debt reconstruction in 2004, Donald J. Trump has had it out for native American tribes, particularly those in the hospitality or Entertainment industry, to the point that he insinuated that there was widespread corruption within the Indian Gaming industry. At a hearing before the Subcommittee on Native American Affairs trump was called to testify about his assertions that there was widespread organized crime "Rampant" on Indian reservations with gaming. It was at this hearing where he completely insulted my tribe by stating "They Don't look like Indians to me, and they don't look like Indians to Indians." I will venture further to say it was a broader insult to east coast native American people.

Actually, trump has been fired by other tribes across the country. The 29 Palms as an example, terminated a contract (reported by origional pechanga) they had with Trump when trump didnt' reveal that his casino management company went bankrupt. Sadly, it is also being reported that 29 may have had to pay Trump 6 million to end that contract.

Now he wants to be president of the United States. I personally just shake my head. Now he attacks Elizabeth Warren, who presumably in her career, made an assertion that she has native ancestry. She has backed off that claim over the past few years, but trump now calls her Pocahontas every time her name is mentioned. These insults towards native people have escalated over the past few days with a less known Radio Talk Show host Howie Carr doing a War Hoop with his hand over his mouth like an old bad western from the 1950’s.

So Donald J. Trump has no love what so ever for Indian Country. And he never will. Sadly, I have met Native people who claim that they will vote for him. I can’t make anyone vote. But I hope in reading this, or listening to our show, it will give them pause. To think about what their actions might do in the future. Indian country has a strained relationship with a country who has not been very kind to us. Who has yet to formally apologize, as some other countries have done, for it’s behavior towards Indigenous People who have always lived on this continent. No, I cannot see having Donald Trump as president would ever strengthen Native American Relations with the country that borders us all.

Michael Kickingbear Johnson, is a enrolled citizen of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Connecticut.